The Cricket Thread 2016

[b23]

It's the end for Michael Clarke.

And his bad back.

Shame.

[olaftab]

That was brilliant, keeper, 5 slips and a leg slip, that's just salt in the wounds.

Six slips.

[OzVilla]

One bloke in our office was trying to blame the pitch FFS!

I couldn't keep a straight face. Not happy campers....................

http://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes-australia-all-out-for-60-in-fourth-test-worst-ashes-collapse-since-1936/story-fnii0bxd-1227473344741

[aev]

Blowers is also an ex-player. His career was cut short when he was hit by a bus.

Given that, it's surprising that he's fascinated by the bloody things......and cranes.......and pigeons.......and butterflies


Daggers is far worse though

Did he play first class cricket? I thought he played for Oxford or Cambridge or someone like that. He's a likeable old sod really but he is well past his best. He was virtually lost for words as the wickets tumbled in the first 30 minutes this morning. You could hardly hear him above the noise of the crowd.

The matches Blowers played for Cambridge were First Class standard

As an aside, isn't there a story that Blowers' father went to school with Ian Fleming and that is where the name of the Bond villain Blofeld came from?

That is true.

[aev]

From the excellent George Dobell on cricinfo:

This was no horror track. This was, like Edgbaston, what might once have been termed "typical" English conditions. A generation ago, batsmen would have left the ball carefully and attempted to defend with the bat right under their eyes. They would have been happy to go into lunch at 60 for 1 with the bowlers having tired and the ball having aged. Instead, despite several of their top order having experience of county cricket, they pushed, prodded and, in Michael Clarke's case, thrashed at balls as if they had never encountered anything like it. Drowning men have acted with more composure.

[Proposition Joe]

Hoping that root can make a daddy ton today.

And with Stokes, Buttler and Ali to come, hoping for some big hitting entertainment.

[PGW]

Hoping that root can make a daddy ton today.

And with Stokes, Buttler and Ali to come, hoping for some big hitting entertainment.

Thry have got to get rid of Wood first!!!!

[Proposition Joe]

Haha, here's another one:

Hoping that Wood matches Dizzy Gillespie's highest score which I think was as a nightwatchman.

[PaulWinch again]

Root gone for 130, excellent knock.

[PGW]

Shame Root couldn't go on and get a big 'un but 130 a good knock

[Proposition Joe]

Root gone for 130, excellent knock.

130 is good but not excellent, even though it was done with style.

Why do England players rarely kick on after passing 100 and get the kind of monster scores that the Saffers, Aussies and Indians seem to produce?

[taylorsworkrate]

Root gone for 130, excellent knock.

130 is good but not excellent, even though it was done with style.

Why do England players rarely kick on after passing 100 and get the kind of monster scores that the Saffers, Aussies and Indians seem to produce?

It was excellent given he did it on exactly the same pitch that Australia got bowled out for 60 on.

[PGW]

Root gone for 130, excellent knock.

130 is good but not excellent, even though it was done with style.

Why do England players rarely kick on after passing 100 and get the kind of monster scores that the Saffers, Aussies and Indians seem to produce?

I think you are being somewhat unkind/critical. I know conditions have changed but he has scored more than double the Aussie output.

[Proposition Joe]

And now Wood gone. It's a full on collapse!

I hope the rest bat the rest of the day out but have a feeling we'll be bowling by lunch. Not good to give the Aussies any chink of light at all, because they are real gits sometimes and can dig themselves out some unlikely holes.

[PGW]

I hope we can last until 20 minutes before tea - then declare with a lead of 400 +.

Don't forget Wood was a nightwatchman he ain't supposed to hang around that long - made a useful knock....251 lead now